2.5 Differentiation
Candidates model and facilitate the design and implementation of technology-enhanced learning experiences making appropriate use of differentiation, including adjusting content, process, product, and learning environment based upon an analysis of learner characteristics, including readiness levels, interests, and personal goals. (PSC 2.5/ISTE 2e)
The artifact serving for standard 2.5 is an online course that I developed and implemented with students in the Fall of 2015. The course was designed on the learning management system Schoology and was aligned to 4th grade Common Core math standards. The course was also designed to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Through the design of the online learning experience I was able facilitate the diverse needs that my students have through developing a variety of activities and tasks to ensure that all students had access to a meaningful learning experience. By differentiating the content, process and product, and allowing student choice in which tasks they complete and how they compete them, students are given a better opportunity to meet the standards. Students were able to choose how they responded to discussion posts through video or audio recordings or through text. Students were provided with examples, sentence starters, graphic organizers, and rubrics which were accessible to students when they needed them. The rigor of the tasks and assignments were also assigned bases on readiness levels. Through implementing the course with students I constantly had to determine and assess student needs in order to adjust content and activities.
Designing and implementing this course taught me a great deal about the careful planning that has to go into an online course to ensure student success. I also learned how to use a variety of digital tools to differentiate learning and found that it can often times be easier to differentiate learning in an online environment than in the traditional classroom. I believe that if I provided students with more of a variety of ways to learn the content, my online course would be more successful.
I believe that the online learning experience that I developed created a meaningful learning experience for students. By providing personal learning experiences for students they were able to meet and exceed the standards. By analyzing student work samples and assessment data student’s growth was evident. I gained a lot of knowledge about the development of an effective online course and would like to share this knowledge with other teachers in the future.
Through the design of the online learning experience I was able facilitate the diverse needs that my students have through developing a variety of activities and tasks to ensure that all students had access to a meaningful learning experience. By differentiating the content, process and product, and allowing student choice in which tasks they complete and how they compete them, students are given a better opportunity to meet the standards. Students were able to choose how they responded to discussion posts through video or audio recordings or through text. Students were provided with examples, sentence starters, graphic organizers, and rubrics which were accessible to students when they needed them. The rigor of the tasks and assignments were also assigned bases on readiness levels. Through implementing the course with students I constantly had to determine and assess student needs in order to adjust content and activities.
Designing and implementing this course taught me a great deal about the careful planning that has to go into an online course to ensure student success. I also learned how to use a variety of digital tools to differentiate learning and found that it can often times be easier to differentiate learning in an online environment than in the traditional classroom. I believe that if I provided students with more of a variety of ways to learn the content, my online course would be more successful.
I believe that the online learning experience that I developed created a meaningful learning experience for students. By providing personal learning experiences for students they were able to meet and exceed the standards. By analyzing student work samples and assessment data student’s growth was evident. I gained a lot of knowledge about the development of an effective online course and would like to share this knowledge with other teachers in the future.